Cable conductor winding



March 6 1934. R. T. Smm@ gwvlg CABLE CONDUCTOR WNDING Filed Sep'. 30, 1931 lin/6.

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/WVENTOR R; I .S TAPLES A TTORNE Y' Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED stares PATENT FENCE Application September dit, ltil, Serial No. 565,938

@mima y This invention relates to yarn windings used to insulate, protect., and identify wire conductors,

, particularly conductors contained in switch@ board cables.

'I'he object of this invention is to provide a sim ple and inexpensive. means of identification to be applied to conductors in a cable in order that` differentiation between them may be done quickly and accurately.

Attainment of this objective is accomplished by the use of a so-called novelty yarn which substitutes for the solid colored threads now in use a two-ply thread consisting of the combination ci one ply having a solici color and the other ply having a dilferent solid color which presents a sharp contrast with the rst color, the two plies being twisted about each other so as to imitate the spiral stripes on a barbers pole. When at least two threads of novelty yarn lie beside each other, the spiral stripes of each thread combine with those of the other thread and present a peculiar appearance which might be described by the adjectives checkered, speckled, mottled, and striated. Since none of these four adjectives exactly describes this peculiar appearance the term. mottled will be used for the sake of simplicity and uniformity. When this novelty yarn is used in combination with the present type of yarn now in use, the contrast between the solid colors and the mottled colors is very outstanding and distinctive, thereby immensely facilitating identification of cable conductors.

Elucidation of this invention may best be obtained by describing the manner in which it may be used to identify switchboard cable conductors and by referring to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a switchboard cable; and

Fig. 2 depicts the novelty yarn applied conductor, considerably magnided, of the switch1 board cable shown in'Fig. l.

Fig. 1 shows a partly stripped section of a switchboard cable and is almost seit-explanatory as it shows that each conductor is individuali protected by several layers of insuiating l terial. Likewise, this ligure shows how in sulated conductors are grouped together into a cable by winding more protective mappings about them as a whole, all oi which are held in place by the outside protective wrappings which are braided in order to reduce raveling.

ln order to more fully appreciate the imporu tance of this invention, it is desirable to consider briedy some of the details pertaining to the dea velopment of quadded switchboard cable. This type of cable is used for general cabling toll @in litiga-264) ollces and .forms a connection between a lead covered entrance cable and a distribution frame and then passes to a switchboard. It also interconnects other apparatus in central offices. The necessity for distinguishing between the conductors contained in one of these cables becomes apparent upon understanding that it is necessary for them to be installed properly and occasionally removed and reinstalled elsewhere. In this connectlon it is sgniiicant to note that installation trouble caused by wrong connections is expensive and delays completion of the installation.

The quadded cables formerly used had distincn tive colors on only one conductor of each pair of a quad, the other two conductors having plain colors. With these cables no trouble was experienced from the conductors becoming untwisted during the processes of forming and installing because the impregnating wax which was used held the wires twisted together. Therefore, the plain 4colored conductors depended upon the distinctively colored conductors, with which they were paired, for their` identity.

However, with the introduction of the cellulose acetate treated conductors, which are much springer than the conductors formerly used, the impregnating wax was omitted for engineering reasons. It was then found that the plain colcred conductors would become untwisted from their distinctively colored mates. Consequently, this led to the use of identifying color bands on each and every conductor in a cable. When this was attempted, it was found that some of the marking bands were hard to distinguish due principally to the fact that there were four relatively narrow color groups in the marking bands. thus causing much difficulty in differentiating between a plurality of colors, particularly the darli colors. Since approximately 46% of the color combinations used comprised a plurality of dark colors, the need for a. contrasting color scheme was imperative. Brighter and more contrasting colors were then made available and nsed in further experimentation. This remedied the situation somewhat, but not to a satisfactory degree. linen the combined use of novelty yarn with the newer and brighter colors was suggested. ltrnow appears to be the most desirable method oi identification, especially since this yarn is not much. more expensive to manufacture than the yarn now in use as it presents no manuactining dilcudties.

manner in which the novelty yar used 'Soest be understood by referring to 2 which shows a partly stripped portion oi one Cil conductor. It will be noted that the conducting wire is already protected by two windings before the color band is wrapped around it. This color band usually consists of eight two-ply threads thereby making a total of sixteen strands. Of course, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to this number which, together with the following details, simply sets forth, purely for expository reasons, one of the ways in which the invention may be applied. For purposes of illustration, the band is shown to consist of four color groups, one of which is formed by the novelty yarn, thus permitting the use of ve colors. Each color group is shown to consist of two threads placed side by side so as not to twine around each other.

As has been stated above, the novelty yarn is `a mixture of two colors and is formed by a twoply thread, one strand having one color and the other strand having a sharply contrasting color, the two strands being twisted about each other so that they present spiral stripes of the barbers pole type. In Fig. 2, the two colors used in the novelty yarn are shown to be black and white, but red and white or any such combination would bev just as efficacious. Since the two threads of a color group lie side by side without crossing over each other, it follows that, in the group .composed of the novelty yarn, sometimes a strand in one thread will lie beside another strand of the same color but in an adjoining thread. In this case, the two threads will present a striped appearance `as at l. If ltwo neighboring strands are of different colors, they will present a checkered appearance as at 2. MLikewise, when the strands are slightly out oi' pliase'the two threads will appear to be mottled or speckled as at 3. For the sake of simplicity 4and uniformity, the adjective mottled will be used asgeneric to all of these effects in describing the appearance of this yarn`in the claims.

The use of novelty yarn will shorten the time required by workmen to identify cable conductors during installation and maintenance. When the large number of these cables now in use is considered, it can be appreciated that this invention eilects a substantial reduction in overhead costs.

The spirit of this invention may be embodied by threads composed of more thanv4 two strands, by color groups having adiierent number of threads, by bands having a different number of color groups, and by bands consisting of a diiIerent number of threads.

The application oi this invention is not conned to switchboard cables, but may be applied to other types of cables; nor is it conned to cable conductors as it may `be used wherever identification marking of this type is needed. Groups of coloredv wires, instead 'of threads, twisted about each other would serve equally well for purely identiiication purposes. In short, the scope of this invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1; A variegated identification band comprising threads of stranded material, at least two of medias the threads comprising at least two strands of different colors, said strands being twisted about each other so as to form a thread having spiral stripes, said identification band having at least two oi.' these spiral striped colored threads lying side by side so that the spiral stripes of each thread combine with the spiral stripes oi the other thread thereby presenting a peculiar mottled appearance.

2. A multi-conductor cable having various conv twisted into `one thread thereby producing a band i having a mottled color which is readily distinguishable from an adjacent band having a color from which one of the said contrasting colors I was not readily distinguishable.

4. A multi-conductor cable having marking means for identifying some of the conductors in the cable from some of the other conductors in the cable, said marking means comprising a covering for a conductor, said covering comprising wrappings of insulating material which is colored in combinations of colors individually distinctiveVfor a conductor, and identifying means for readily distinguishing a certain color, such as red, from another color of closely similar appearance, such as orange, in the same covering for the same conductor, said identifying means comprising a contrasting mottling introduced into the certain color.

.5. A multi-conductor cable in which some of the conductors are insulated with a covering comprising wrappings of textile yarns of several colors, each color forming a spiral band in an insulating covering, and identifying means for readily distinguishing black colored yarn wrappings when they are adjacent to other colored wrappings of closely similar appearance, such as blue, said identifying means comprising the modication of the color black to a contrasting black and white mottled color.

6. A multi-conductor cable in which some of the conductors are insulated with a covering comprising wrappings of textile yarns of several colors, each color forming a spiral band in an insulating covering, and identifying means for readily distinguishing red colored yarn wrappings when they are adjacent to other colored wrap- ROBERT T. STAPLES. 

